Perfect Iced Coffee

About a month ago, we bought this Bodum French Press, (I was told by this diva, that my Ikea one was not up to par, Hi T!). Mike has been using it daily and is now so spoiled by french press coffee that the Keurig has found a new home in the pantry. It's summertime and iced coffee is a staple around here so we've been using the French Press to make iced coffee. Here's how we do it. 

Fill the french press with the appropriate amount of coffee. Bodum says " 1 tablespoon or bodum scoop per 4 oz cup".  I made a 16 oz pot so I used 4 scoops.

Pour in the boiling water (16 oz). I heat the water in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.

Stir with a nonreactive (e.g. wood or glass) utensil

Let coffee sit for 4 minutes

Push plunger. This is basic french press. If you want hot coffee, go for it. For iced coffee, keep reading

Pour the coffee into a pitcher, preferably glass or ceramic so your coffee doesn't take on a plasticy taste. 

Once chilled at least 4 hours (sometimes I leave it overnight), pour coffee over ice. Add sugar (or not)

Add cream (or not). Milk substitutes such as soy, almond or rice, work well here too because the coffee is not hot and won't effect the flavor of the milk substitute. A good ratio is 3/4 coffee 1/4 cream/milk/whatever. But whatever ratio works for you. Enjoy!

Spring Food

My final spring post is all about in season produce. I'll have to get mine at the grocery store because the farmers markets in IL don't open until June, but that's no problem. Some of these recipes I've made before and some are on the list to try this spring. I hope you find some inspiration, just click on the images for links.
Images: Aspargus, Peas, Strawberries, Artichoke
All images property of their respective owners. All images linked to original source.

St. Patrick's Day

I had some grand plans for St. Patrick's Day including baking homemade Irish Soda Bread, Stout cupcakes, and a visit to family, but a hellish week at school and a knock-me-on-my-ass flu led to a more subdued St. Patty's Day. 

Fortunately my wonderful husband grabbed all the accouterments for a tradtional American St. Patrick's day dinner: corned Beef and cabbage. Also we're skipping the green beer and replacing it with some Black and Tans (Guinness and brown ale). 

 

If I'm feeling up to it, maybe I'll take some of that leftover corned beef and make some corned beef hash for breakfast tomorrow (after another showing of course).

Be safe and have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

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Weekly Meal Plan

White Chicken Chili

Mushroom Enchiladas

Spaghetti Bolognese

Chicken Saltimboca with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower

Mac N’ Cheese

Chicken Caesar Salad

Oven Fried Chicken

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Chocolate Heart Sandwich Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day!  Even though Mike has the day off, I'm spending today tending to patients in the ICU. I'm gonna pack one of these guys in my lunch box to help sweeten the day. Enjoy!

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Cookies via Martha Stewart

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix with a whisk until well combined.

In a double boiler, or a bowl over a pot of simmering water, mix chocolate chips, brown sugar and butter. Stir constantly until almost completely melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in egg. Mix well.

Transfer the chocolate-butter mixture to the bowel of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer and add the flour-cocoa powder mixture in slowly until completely combined. It will form a thick dough.

Place half of dough on parchment paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top, sandwiching the dough between the two pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Place in freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat with the other half of dough.

After 20 minutes, preheat oven to 350, take out dough and remove top piece of parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter (I used my Grandma's vintage scalloped heart), cut out heart shapes and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Filling via Smitten Kitchen

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg white

6 tablespoons room temperature butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Pink food coloring

In a double boiler, or a bowl over a pot of simmering water, mix sugar and egg white stirring constantly until you can't feel the sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers. 

Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the mixture until it turns white and doubles in size (about 3-4 minutes). Add vanilla.

With the mixer running, add butter a tablespoon at a time. Mix until combined.

Add about 4 drops pink food coloring and 1 drop of green to tone down the pink. Mix well.

Place mixture in piping bag or ziplock bag with a hole cut off a corner. Pipe onto back side of cookies and sandwich together.

Roasted Kale

I wanted a salty snack the other night, but didn't want anything carby and heavy, so I decided to make these crispy roasted kale chips. Simple to make and full of that salty, vinegary flavor that greens tend to have. 

Preheat oven to 250. Chop kale into chip size pieces. Arrange kale pieces on a sheet tray in a single layer, this is vital if you want all the kale to get crispy. Drizzle olive oil and sea salt atop the kale and roast in the oven for half an hour. Enjoy.

P.S. All types of kale work for this, but I've found lacinato (also known as Tuscan, Black or Dinosaur(?)) kale to have the best texture and flavor

Weekly Meal Plan

I toyed with the idea of eating only salads and grilled chicken breasts for the month of January, but realized that my blood sugar would be a mess and I'd probably be a raging bitch. So I thought better of it and came up with this meal plan. Enjoy!

Orecchiette with Broccoli

Hamburgers with bleu cheese and salad

Bacon and leek quiche

Lemon garlic chicken with cracked potatoes

Blackened salmon with roasted carrrots

Chicken and fennel gratin

Pizza with mozzarella and prosciutto

Arugula, Orange and Fennel Salad

I forgot to put up last week's meal plan, so I thought I'd share one of the meals we made. This recipe is from Extra Virgin and I included it below for you.

4 cups arugula

1 fennel bulb (white part only), sliced thin (I used a mandoline)

half a red onion, sliced thin (mandoline again)

3-4 clementines, peeled and quartered

half a can of black olives

juice of 1 lemon and a drizzle of olive oil to taste.

salt and pepper 

a couple chopped fennel fronds.

Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss.

P.S. I've also made this with seared salmon on top. Delicious.

Weekly Meal Plan

Spinach Quiche

Grilled Flank Steak and Arugula with Pickled Red Onion

Spaghetti alla carbonara

BLTs

Three Cup Chicken with Sticky Rice

Sausage and sauerkraut

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Mushroom Risotto with Farro

Over Thanksgiving weekend, while in Michigan with family, I dropped by one of my favorite spice shops to pick up some more Fleur de Sel, which I use on these roasted chickpeas, and some dried red chilies when I found some wild porcini sea salt. I knew immediately I wanted to make a rich and delicious mushroom risotto. Risotto can be intimidating, but trust me, if you give it a try, you'll see how easy it is to make and how delicious it tastes.

1 cup farro* (you could use the traditional arborio rice)

6 cups low-sodium beef broth

1/2 lb (8 oz) baby portabello mushrooms, chopped

8 ounces dried porcini, shiitake, black and oyster mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped (optional, but found for 2$ at Trader Joes, you could also use a whole lb of baby bellas)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 small or 1 medium sized onion, chopped

A good splash (about 1/3 cup) dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc)

2/3 cup Parmesan or romano cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

salt (I used my wild porcini salt)

pepper

Pour the beef broth into a pan and bring to a simmer, this will be added later.

Heat a dutch oven or stock pot over medium high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and cook until softened and translucent. Add the mushrooms salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the farro and toast lightly for another 5 minutes. Once the farro starts to soften a bit, add the white wine. Let the wine cook until the alcohol evaporates.

Time to start adding the broth. While stirring regularly, add the broth to the mushroom and farro mixture. I used a soup ladle and started with 2 ladles full. Once the broth is absorbed into the farro, add 2 more ladles of broth. Keep stirring. Continue until all the broth is gone. Don't forget to stir! The risotto is done once the liquid is almost completely absorbed. You want it to be creamy and smooth not thick and chunky. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Top with chopped parsley.

*Farro, a cousin or barley, is commonly used in many Italian dishes. We picked up a big bag from Costco to mix up the usual quinoa and couscous rotation and I decided to use it for this risotto because I felt it would hold up nicely with the strong taste of the mushrooms.

French Onion Soup with French Dip Sandwiches

I'm working my way through my French inspired meal plan and it was time for French Onion Soup. I made this version with a slow cooker, and I have to say it was disappointing. After smelling it cooking all day I was expecting a delicious complex flavor but what I got was a bland echo of real French Onion Soup. Then I remembered the last time I made French Onion soup on the stove using this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, which I included here for you. This recipe really gives you the rich, deep, savory flavor that you expect from French Onion Soup. Don't forget the sandwiches, together they make a filling, hearty meal perfect for cold and windy fall evenings.

French Onion Soup via Smitten Kitchen

1/2 lb (about 5 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions (a mandoline works well for this)

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

3 tbsp flour

2 quarts (8 cups) beef stock

1/2 dry white wine

sliced baguette

Melt the butter and olive oil together in the bottom of a 4 or 5 quart saucepan or dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes until they have turned an even deep, golden brown.

After the onions are fully caramelized, sprinkle them with flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the wine then stock, a little at at a time, stirring between additions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 more minutes.

Preheat broiler. Arrange six ovenproof soup bowls or crocks on a large baking sheet and divide the soup among the six bowls. Add 1/2 teaspoon raw grated onion and a tablespoon of grated cheese to each bowl. Stir to combine. Float a slice of baguette on top of the soup and cover with grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese.

Place the bowls under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

French Dip Sandwiches via Everyday Occasions

1/4 of a baguette

1/2 lb sliced roast beef.

1/4  lb sliced gruyere or swiss (left over from soup)

mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Slice baguette down the side to create and opening. On the bottom side top with cheese and sliced beef. Place on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Slater on mayo and Dijon mustard on top half of baguette. Cut in half.

Weekly Meal Plan

My friend Temple is a beautiful creative woman who blogs over at Pour l'amour de Paris (For the Love of Paris) and sells her Paris inspired handmade jewelry through her Etsy shop Temple Designs. Her blog centers around the ambiance and beauty of Paris and her love of all things Parisian, with beautiful photography and travel tips. In honor of Temple I put together a French inspired menu for my weekly meal plan. Check out the links below each image for recipes!

Coq Au Vin

Salmon with Mustard-Caper Butter with Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Butternut Squash with Lentils and Goat Cheese

Beef Bourguignon

French Onion Soup with French Dip Sandwiches

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Foodgawker

Foodgawker is "a photo gallery that allows you to visually search and discover new recipes, techniques and ingredients" submitted by food bloggers from around the world. When something catches your eye, you click on the photo and go straight to the blog for the recipe. I submitted my Spaghetti alla Puttanesca and my photo was accepted onto the site. So I added this little guy onto my sidebar which links to my gallery. I just have the one so far, but hope to submit more in the future.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

 

1 lb spaghetti

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

4 anchovy filets, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers
small can black olives

2 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

red pepper flakes, to taste

	While your spaghetti cooks in salted boiling water, prepare your sauce.
	Heat olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in a large skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. When garlic is fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), add anchovies, olives, and capers.
	Let cook for a few seconds then pour in tomatoes. Cook for approximately five minutes or until the sauce has reduced a bit.
	Drain the spaghetti and add it to the skillet. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. Image by Amynonymous for Domestic Observances

Harvest Granola Bars

Happy Friday! I wanted to share this wonderful, choose your own filling recipe over that I found over at Good Life Eats, where Katie put together a little how to for chewy granola bars.

1. Rolled Grains (i.e. oats): 2 1/2 cups total

2. Nuts, Seeds, & Spices: 1 cup total Nuts & Seeds, Spices per your discretion.

3. Sticky Sweetener: 1/3 + 1/4 cup

• For something sweet you’ll need a sticky sweetener, such as honey, agave, molasses, maple syrup, etc. Sweetener adds moisture and flavor.
• Use the full amount as one sweetener, or mix up the flavors.

4. Dried Fruits: 1 cup total

5. Binder: 1 cup total

• This is what will hold the bars together and keep them chewy without over drying.
• These Molasses and Ginger Granola Bars use pureed dates, but get creative. Prunes, Apple Butter, and Almond Butter would be great choices too.

Fill a parchment lined sheet tray with the mixture, and bake at 325 for 25 minutes, chill in the freezer until firm, remove from parchment paper and cut into bars.

Using these basic instructions, I came up with my own Harvest Granola Bars. 

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup cups pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1/3 cup honey

1/4 maple syrup

1 cup dried apple rings, chopped

1 cup honey apple butter.

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. The original recipe calls for using a food processor, and although I used our food processor/blender combo, I felt you could get by with some good hand mixing. Place in a parchment lined sheet tray. I used a spatula to form a nice rectangle since my sheet tray was very big and smoothed it out with a spatula. Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes. I know it's more than the original recipe but I wanted them to be a bit more firm. Place in the freezer for about an hour. Remove from parchment paper and cut into bars.

Update: After removing these from the freezer, then storing them in an airtight container in the fridge, I found the bars to be a little too soft and sweet for my taste. So I popped them back in the oven for 25 minutes at 350, which toasted the walnuts and oats and gave it a more balanced flavor. Next time I'll bake them at 350 in the beginning for 45 min to an hour.

Image by Amynonymous for Domestic Observances

Meal Plan

 Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

 Shrimp Santorini

 Stuffed Peppers 

 Lasagna Roll Ups

Chili

 Black Bean Pizza

 Pasta with Butternut Squash, fried sageand pine nuts 

 Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

What Else is Cooking

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut ButterFrosting - Mike's Birthday Next Week!

Granola Bars

 Parmesan Chips

 Honey and Cheese

 Peanut Butter Cookies


Image 1 - Martha Stewart.com, Image 2 - The Novice Chef, Image 3 - Homemade by Holman, Image 4 - Fitness Magazine, Image 5  - The Kitchn, Image 6 - David Rocco.com
Image 7 - Ming Makes Cupcakes, Image 8 - Food Network Canada, Image 9 - CookingChannelTV.com, Image 10 - The Kitchn.